Identity Theft and Unauthorized Signature Disputes

Find the statement below that most accurately describes your situation, and then follow the instructions for resolving that problem:

The loan records I have seen show my SSN, but the name shown as borrower is not my name, and I did not sign a promissory note for this loan.

In order to prove that you are not the person who received this loan, you will be required to show U.S. Department of Education (Department) representatives proof that you are not the individual identified on the loan records. This evidence typically includes samples of your signature and photocopies of the following:

Your Social Security Card

Your Driver's license or government-issued ID card

Your Passport or Birth Certificate

The loan records I have seen show a name that is the same as mine, but the SSN shown as that of the borrower is not my SSN, and I did not sign a promissory note for this loan.

In order to prove that you are not the person who received this loan, you will be required to show Department representatives proof that you are not the individual identified on the loan records. This evidence typically includes samples of your signature and photocopies of the following:

Your Social Security Card

Your Driver's license or government-issued ID card

Your Passport or Birth Certificate

This loan has my name and SSN, but I did not sign a promissory note for this loan.

To prove that the promissory note was forged, you will be required to submit examples of your signature from around the time that the loan was made (e.g., from tax returns for that year, driver's licenses issued at that time, cancelled checks that you wrote at that time). Alternatively, you can provide proof that you did not attend the school for which the loan was made (e.g., proof that you were living, employed or enrolled in school elsewhere at that time). Lastly, if you are unable to provide such proof, you can provide a report from an independent handwriting expert to support your claim.

I am the victim of identity theft.

If you believe you qualify for an identity theft discharge, you must complete, sign, date, and submit a discharge application to U.S. Department of Education representatives for consideration of loan discharge. You can request an application form from the party that holds your loan, or you can click here to download the application form.

Include with your application form the information described below:

A court judgment that was made in your favor that conclusively finds that you were a victim of identity theft and identifies the name(s) of the individual(s) who committed the crime.

Any supporting written statement that describes how the identity theft relates specifically to your student loan(s).

Send the documents to the party that holds the loan. Check a recent demand letter or bill for this loan; if the address to which you are requested to send payment is the National Payment Center in Atlanta, GA, you should submit this documentation to: